Connektica, the Canadian start-up specializing in automated test solutions for NewSpace OEMs and manufacturers, has just announced a €2 million round of financing and the opening of its Toulouse subsidiary. Its successful incubation at regional incubator Nubbo, the support of Invest in Toulouse and the Occitanie region's economic development agency (Ad'Occ), and the density of key players in the sector have convinced its founders of the potential of this location, close to a dynamic and innovative space ecosystem.
NewSpace, new needs. The revolution that has affected the traditional space industry and its major clients has seen the emergence of private aerospace companies determined to democratize access, and the multiplication of new constellations of standard satellites deployed in low earth orbit (LEO). Offering more satellites, smaller and faster, but at lower cost: an avowed ambition for these new players, and an explosion in production that has seen the emergence of a range of solutions adapted to the needs and requirements of a now highly competitive market.
Test standardization and competitiveness
Born in 2019 in Montreal, the young Connektica is fully in line with this new, agile and competitive approach to conquering space. The expertise of its founders in electromagnetics, industrial automation and data science has guided the development of a testing and supply chain management platform designed to meet the agendas and requirements of satellite integrators and component manufacturers. Whether they're running an R&D or mass production project, it enables them to standardize and automate all their tests (radiofrequency, thermal, mechanical, etc.), thus significantly reducing the time and costs involved. Centralized in this way, the data collected and analyzed are compared in real time with the specifications imposed by the space industry's demanding quality standards, to determine their acceptability to the client.
" We initially focused on radio frequency testing, as it is fundamental to this industry," explains Jeremy Perrin, one of Connektica's two founders. "We have since expanded the platform with other test batteries, and enhanced it with measurement tools that process production metadata and performance histories to obtain indicators that are very useful to our customers. Quality imperatives, as well as resource and time savings, are at the heart of our development. ".
A subsidiary in close contact with major space players
Atem, MDA Corporation and Anywaves are among the first Connektica users to be convinced by this tailor-made approach, and Connektica is leveraging its close ties with the Toulouse space ecosystem to win new customers.
" In Toulouse, everything came together to offer us the best possible launch pad," comments Jeremy Perrin. "We've been very well received, both by the support organizations and by the entrepreneurial network. The sector is incredibly dynamic, open and in tune with a fast-growing market. All the ecosystems and parameters are in place, and the available resources are highly qualified. ".
Backed by the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and its new investors (Canadian Boréal Ventures, American Space VC and RAO Family Irrevocable Trust, led by a lead investor and an undisclosed French investor) Connektica is banking on the adaptability and responsiveness of its solutions to win over iconic players in the sector. It plans to recruit 5 people in the coming months in addition to its current 10 employees in Canada, and is aiming for a workforce of 15 in Occitanie by 2024.
